A disk clutch typically comprises a drive hub, a driven plate and a pair of driver plates concentrically disposed about the hub, a back plate and a holding plate to capture the driver and driven plates on the hub, and an actuator that causes the driver plates to hold the driven plate. The clutch operates on the friction force that develops when the driven plate is held between the two driver plates. A common method of attaching the driver plates to the drive hub is by means of a plurality of splines. Proper alignment of the driver plates along the splines on the drive hub is critical to a properly functioning clutch. In large torque applications, a series of driver and driven plates are employed. As the number and weight of the individual plates increase, however, so does the difficulty of assembling the clutch.
In applications where in place assembly may be required, it is of particular importance to be able to assemble a clutch quickly and with minimal assistance. In large torque applications, for instance in an oil drilling operation, the driver plates can weigh ninety (90) pounds each. The holding plate, which captures the driver plates and driven plates on the drive shaft, can weigh one hundred and seventy (170) pounds or more. In view of the weight of the clutch's component parts, alignment of the driver plates on the splines of the drive hub while maneuvering the holding plate and various intermediate components is not easy.